Bison on a SD road

To get home from the western tip of South Dakota to the northern tip of Delaware required a 31 hour drive over the course of three days.  But it was done…and John and I tallied up the songs played on the radio during our entire voyage.  (I just want to say that it became so painful, I can hardly listen to the radio now)

Another tornado watch

1-Usher & Lady Gaga, played 51 times

3-B.o.B., played 37 times

4-Train, played 34 times

5-Black Eyed Peas & Kesha, played 31 times

7-The Script, played 29 times

8-Katy Perry & Kelly Clarkson, played 27 times

Being back in Delaware embodies Dorothy’s quote: “There’s no place like home.”  I’m not just talking about my bed, my kitchen, and my yard.  I’m talking about all of the things that mean home—especially the family farm where we buy much of our produce.

In 1832, the Webster family developed a hilly landscape in to an agrarian environment.  Five generations and 178 years later, that same family (now the Lintons) still owns and operates the farm, which is called Highland Orchard.  Located in the city of Wilmington, this farm has acres of fields filled overflowing with strawberries, rhubarb, beans, tomatoes, horses, chickens, and so much more.

Walking in to the farm’s store, which was once a barn, reminds shoppers to appreciate the seasons.  In the winter, shelves are often stocked with potatoes, but once the winter hump ends, there is warm weather, and the ground defrosts, a plethora of succulent fruits and vegetables are available to hungry shoppers.

While you can, take advantage of everything that is in season near you by going to a farm stand, farmers market,  CSA, or your backyard for produce.  But if you can’t do that, check back soon for a forthcoming posting about other alternatives…

Courtney's Indian Taco

An Indian Taco is taco/burrito fixings on fried bread, a traditional Native American food: deep fried dough in the shape of a circle that can be made sweet with butter, cinnamon, and powdered sugar or savory with chili and taco toppings.

It was a shock to see this dish on the menu of one of the most rudimentary eateries, a truck stop. In Delaware, I can only embrace Indian Tacos once a year at my tribe’s annual Powwow. But in South Dakota, a state with a considerable Native American population, Native culture was the norm.

John's Indian Chili

My Nanticoke tribe may have lost its language and many of its traditions, but we still have a commonality with other Native people: fried bread. A wonderful welcome to Indian Country.

At Giordano’s I placed an order for deep dish spinach pizza, and was informed that it would be ready in 30-45 minutes. I was starving, but the waiter said that each literal pizza pie requires the time to cook—and that it was “worth the wait.”

My review: I’ve been too spoiled by New York pizza for the waiter.  I literally ate a pie.  A quarter-inch of spinach topped with a half-inch of cheese and a thin layer of sauce.  Eating felt gluttonous, overwhelming, and like it was a task.  It’s not my kind of pizza, but it is checked off of my tourist ‘to do’ list.

Proving that he’s making a comeback and here to stay, Usher tops the list. Radio stations from New Jersey to Illinois played five of his songs and he was on our radio 14 times. The biggest surprises on the drive were Lady Antebellum (played 11 times), Bon Jovi (played 9 times), and Michael Bublé (played 5 times). The relative absence of Taylor Swift on the radio (played 3 times) was a disappointment because we drove through her territory for five hours. Check out the results:

1-Usher (14)
2-Lady Gaga (12)
3-Lady Antebellum (11)
4-Train (10)
5-Bon Jovi (9)
6-The Script (8)
7-Kelly Clarkson/Kesha (7)

9-B.o.B./Black Eyed Peas/Katy Perry (6)
12-Gwen Stefani/Michael Bublé (5)

John and I had so much fun doing this that we think we’re going to continue for the rest of the trip (Detroit, Minneapolis, Badlands, Toronto, Montreal).  Now that you’ve seen the preliminary results, any predictions for who’s going to take the crown?

Tomorrow, John and I will be hitting the highway for a 12 hour road trip.  Rumson, NJ to Chicago, IL or bust.  And we’re going to take count of how many times we hear each song on the radio.  So, which singles do you think will top our list?  My guess: “Hey Soul Sister” by Train, but the comments section is awaiting your prediction…

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May’s Martha Stewart Living dedicates five pages to the fruit. MarthaStewart.com highlights over 30 recipes. It’s lining the average supermarket’s shelves.  I even found rhubarb plants for sale at a garden nursery!  I, for one, am not complaining.                       s

Rhubarb has a month-long growing season so in the spring you can find pounds of it under my arms and on the shelves of my freezer. That is because John, my boyfriend, is enamored with rhubarb (and hopefully me when I prepare it).  The mere mention of rhubarb brings out more and more fans: aunts, uncles, and friends.

Rhubarb has a tart flavor—for a free sample pick japanese knotweed, a wild edible, from the backyard or local park (there was a sea of knotweed at Central Park’s Rambles a few weeks ago). You can eat raw rhubarb, but it’s most commonly used in baked desserts.  Whatever you do, just don’t eat the leaves—they’re poisonous.

On Thursday, I saw rhubarb at the farmers market for the first time this spring and of course scooped up a few stalks. When I make a pie, crisp, compote, jam, or tart, there will absolutely be a post. In the meantime, I’ll be stocking my shelves with a few more pounds.

Then your green-space can become a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  Animal habitats are disappearing because of climate change, invasive species, and development.  Each inch of land that is cleared for homes, strip malls, and fast food chains removes an inch of nature: from the mycorrhizae and earthworms in the soil, to the praying mantis and bees above ground, and the squirles and birds in the trees.

You can play a part in maintaining the environment through the backyard certification.  Provide just five things for the fauna that frequent your green-space: food, water, cover, a place to raise young, and limited pesticide use.

If you think that you can do even two of the things on this list, then sign up.  Someone from the National Wildlife Federation will then meet with you and inform you of how the list of provisions can be completed, and you’ll be on your way to saving the environment. Join the club of over 128,000 Americans who have become certified including St. Andrew’s School, Martha, and me!

While you’re at it, if you enjoy the birds in your yard, the National Wildlife Federation announced Thursday morning that it now has a Bird-Friendly Certification Program.

The first Earth Day that I can remember was spent in Brandywine Park, holding hands and singing songs about nature with my classmates from R.O.M.P Montessori.  The sun shone, cherry blossoms floated through the air, and the Brandywine River gurgled in song with us.

Well over 15 years later, I returned to that very spot and walked under the same blossoming cherry tress. It’s perfectly fitting that we celebrate the environment each spring.

One definition of spring is the first stage and the freshest period, but let’s interpret it further.

Spring is the first stage of rebirth.  Walk outside and take in all of the plants and animals that have been dormant the past six months: daffodils, grass, squirrels, and woodpeckers.  I was home Easter weekend and in awe of each and every thing that was springing back to life before me.  Has that feeling hit you?

Spring-cleaning makes this season the freshest period for your home, but it’s not limited to household chores.  Get outdoors.  Pull out the rake, put down the mulch, and fill the pots with pansies or petunias (or for those in apartments whom I can commiserate with, get new plants for your windowsills).  I worked in my future yard (or my next victim) in Brooklyn and got a micro-level view of what’s reawakening.  This gave me a greater appreciation for everything, including the weeds, before me.

My mom in the quince

Earth Day is recognized once a year, but I challenge you to celebrate it once a week.  (You have a busy schedule, so I won’t say every day.)  Go on a walk, play in the soil, or go to a garden and embrace the spring and all that it brings.

My March hiatus was due to my thesis, which began with the favorite foods of a locavore, a person who only eats food produced within a small radius of where they live (ie: 100, 250, or 400 miles).  Those favorite foods tend to be what’s in season.

Leda Meredith and Alexa Van de Walle, the women whom I wrote about, enjoy the spring for its asparagus and strawberries, summer for its tomatoes and peaches, and fall for its root vegetables.

In asking Leda and Lexi what their favorite foods were, I also asked myself what mine were.  Simple: roasted vegetables.  Roasting is a form of cooking that uses high temperatures to caramelize the sugars in foods.  When a fruit/vegetable is heated above its melting point, its sugars become brown and strengthen in flavor.

To roast, lightly coat your vegetable in olive oil and any seasoning, put it in a 450-degree oven until it is golden brown, and then enjoy!  I specialize in roasted carrots, but Lexi introduced me to kale chips, which is roasted kale.

Whatever you choose to roast, it will be simple and delicious…the winning combination for a dish.